The problem with blockbusters

by ERIK LEIJON

The critical maelstrom surrounding action caper Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3/SCE, Naughty Dog) could lead one to believe the sequel represents the next great paradigm shift in gaming. Someone might tell you it’s the best attempt yet to deliver a perfect hybrid of movie-calibre cinematic action and real-time white-knuckle gameplay. It’s probably true, as the dialogue is sharp, and the action scenes brilliantly inventive. It’s a Hollywood blockbuster wrapped in a video game, and in that regard no one has done better, but how many movie buffs had the last Die Hard on their top-10 lists?

The Uncharted 2 experience is pretty enthralling as far as video games go. But if the great gold rush to create a perfectly immersive interactive universe yields this as its prized nugget, then I’d be concerned that gaming’s ultimate goal for 2009 was to recreate Indiana Jones.

As with the 2007 original, a highly acrobatic and smart-assed adventurer with a heart of gold alternates between intense gunfights and more exploratory parkour platforming in treacherous locales, this time on the hunt for an ancient stone with untold powers. Chronologically, it takes place after the first, with some new characters meshing with the old ones (although, most importantly, it sets up the Uncharted universe as a serial with unlimited potential adventures awaiting). From the mysterious hotspots untouched by modernity to the unlikely hero protagonist, Uncharted 2 follows the post-John McClane action movie mould (which mercifully means some engaging voice-over acting). There are also at least a half-dozen moments in the game that must be seen to be believed.

The opening scene, where hero Nathan Drake must climb up a train car dangling from a snowy cliff, is quite an intro, and a later scene where Drake is inside a toppling building being attacked by a helicopter is one where you might intentionally die just to play it again. There is no shortage of instances where Uncharted 2 feels like a million romantic ambitions somehow coming together in perfect harmony.

Then again, Uncharted 2 is more than five times longer than your typical action movie, and when you follow the popcorn flick pacing format so intently, it can be hard to keep players’ palms sweaty. Eventually, the firefights between Drake and the evil Russian forces become tedious scrambles for ammo. The monastery mission, in particular, is just wave after inelegant wave of enemies. The gun fighting gameplay involves a rather unreliable cover system, and Drake’s lack of mobility will likely result in more than a few accidental deaths as you inadvertently roll into a sticky wall, or get stuck in an undesired hand-to-hand combat situation. Imagine Gears of War with human opponents, although near the end you might feel like you’re playing through these long shooting missions, tolerating them in order to get to the juicy cutscene parts. These issues were present in the first, and remain largely unchanged.

It may sound excessively contrarian to harp on a few minor quibbles concerning this otherwise incredible game, but as good as Uncharted 2 is, I’m not sure it’s the great panacea I was hoping it might be. In all their efforts to make the perfect movie, developer Naughty Dog otherwise settled on having a great game.

Final Fantasy fight night

Characters from every Final Fantasy are duking it out in fan-friendly battle royale Dissidia (PSP/Square Enix, Square Enix), a quasi-fighting game with classic FF role-playing game influences. Not a great RPG or brawler, but as a unique mash-up of both genres, Square Enix obsessives will find the combat system (similar to Virtual On’s 3D arena fighting) worth working on.